“Dutch designer van Herpen’s eleven-piece collection featured two 3D printed ensembles. One is an elaborate skirt and cape created in collaboration with artist, architect, designer and professor Neri Oxman from MIT’s Media Lab, and 3D printed by Stratasys.

“The 3D printed skirt and cape were produced using Stratasys’ Objet Connex multi-material 3D printing technology, which allows a variety of material properties to be printed in a single build. This allowed both hard and soft materials to be incorporated within the design, crucial to the movement and texture of the piece. “The ability to vary softness and elasticity inspired us to design a “second skin” for the body acting as armor-in-motion; in this way we were able to design not only the garment’s form but also its motion,” explains Oxman. “The incredible possibilities afforded by these new technologies allowed us to reinterpret the tradition of couture as “tech-couture” where delicate hand-made embroidery and needlework is replaced by code….”